After taking the time to write a good covering letter and résumé, your efforts have been rewarded: you have been invited for an interview! Many job seekers make the mistake of misinterpreting the interview as an interrogation with “right” and “wrong answers”. They unnecessarily fear they will fall into the interviewer's “traps” and as a result they arrive at this initial meeting feeling tense and apprehensive. This is not the case, a job interview is an opportunity for the job seeker and the employer to get to know each other better.

It is important to make a good initial impression, as recruiters often make up their minds about a candidate within the first few minutes of the interview. To help you make a good impression right from the start, here are a few guidelines for you to follow:

• Dress professionally
• Give a firm handshake at the beginning and end of the interview
• Smile
• Be confident about yourself and your capabilities
• Express your motivation and enthusiasm
• Talk about your achievements, not just your responsibilities
• Tell the employer about your interest in the job
• Sit up straight in your chair
• Ask some questions about the job and the company
• Be natural, do not try to play a role
• Make eye contact with the interviewer when answering questions
• Be spontaneous (even if you've practised for the interview, don't make it seem as though you've memorized all your answers)

Do not worry if you slip up at the beginning, because you will have the rest of the interview to rectify the first impression. Stay calm and take control of the discussion to show the interviewer that his or her first impression was wrong. Do not forget that your body language, facial expression and tone of voice are just as important as what you say.